Improved apparatus for changing car-trucks



To' whom 'it may con-cem Be it known that I, S. L, FBEMONT, of the city of ,Wilmingtom county of New Hanover, in the State of itnied S-Sintra @tutti @mitra S. L.' FREMONT, WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

l Lenm Parmi: No. 89,758, dem Ma@ 4, 1869.

IMPR'ovnn APPARATUS FOR CHANGING cen-TRUCKS.

'The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and mak-lng part of the same.

North Carolina, have' invented a new and useful Apparatus for .Changing Oar-Trucks, so as to enable carbodies to pass over roads of different gauges; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of lthis specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which like parts are indicated by like' letters in the several figures.

It is well known that the gauges of railroads diler, and where suoli roads meet4 each other, a change of trucks will enable the same car to be used. To eiiect such change is the object of my invention.

To enable others skilled in'the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation-.

. In the drawings- Figure 1 represents 'a top view" of a platform, and amovable table. upon it,-ha`ving tracks of diierent widths, connecting with those of 4the same gauge at each end of the same. The upperfame-work in this figure is removed.

Figure 2 is a side elevation'irof rey-invention, showing a car on a track of the platform-table, which is up, or in its normal position.

Figure 3 is a side sectional'view, showing the car suspended, and the table lowered.

Figure 4v is an end elevationof a lateral section throngh|g. 2,; while Figure 5 is a similar section, showing the car suspended, the table lowered and moved sideways, so a to bring other trucks under the car.

A B .C D represent a platform, having four or more (as necessary) upright posts, supporting a frame-work, G, above it.

c is a table, resting upon a frame, f, supported by wheels, runningou lateral rails, g.

Between the table and the fr'ame mentioned there are wedge-shapedblocks, h, at .each4 corner, and which `are connected at each side, by which to raise or lower the table e and the trucks 'F.F, which are on the rails t and t', corresponding to similar tracks on each end of the platform.

E represents any .carwhich itis desired to shift from one track to another of a different gauge adjoining it.

'fi i are metallic or other strong pendants, attached t the top, or frame G, having eyes at the lower end, which extend a short distance below the bottom of a car. They are so located that a car can pass between them, as to width, and lengthwise the distance is shorter than the length of a car. There are four suspended over each track on a table.`

If it be desirable to use the same car on roads of different gauges, it can be done by simply changing the trucks, as follows, which will explain the operation of my apparatus:

@Say the car E-coming in on the broad gauge, or rails t t; it is run upon the table e, in its proper position between the pendants t', fig. 2, when beams j, figs. 3 and 5, are placed under it, and through the lower eyes of the pendants, from side' to side, and within the length of the car.

By means of any suitable and well-known mechanical device the wedges h, on each side, and on which the 'table e rests, are partially withdrawn, letting the table down, until the bolts of the trucks are clear of the bottom of the car, as seen in fig. 3, thus leaving the car E suspended.

The table, lwhich may be termed the drop and traverse-table, must now be moved laterally on its rails y, until the narrow-gauge trucks F are brought under the car, which is illustrated by g. 5.

The table is next raised, by pushing the wedges inward, until the table e is up to its .proper lever, when the beams, j canl be removed, thus leaving the car on the narrow-gauge' trucks, as well as track of the table, which is nowmovedlaterally to its original position, bringing the rails t t on it, opposite those ou the platform, when the car can be run 0E on to the new or narrow-gauge road, thus completing the operation.

Various means may be employed, whereby to raise and lower the table, such as screws, levers, 85o., as well as hydraulic jacks, all well-known mechanical devices.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

An apparatus for changing the trucks ot railroadcars, and transferring the same from one track to another of a different gauge, constructed, arranged, and operated in the manner substantially as shown and described.

Y S. L. FREMONT.

vWitnesses: y

MATTHEW?. TAYLOR, W. M. Poisson. 

